Dial holding mechanism for knitting machines



P 1947 R. H. LAW SON DIAL HOLDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 11, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l jzven ROBERT H. LAWSON 2 his a/Z-Z-orneyS Sept. 30, 1947. R. H. LAWSON I ,2

D IAL HOLD ING MECHANISM FOR KNI TTING MACHINES Filed March 11, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 zveni'ar ROBERT H.LAWSON & y 722."? aZ-Zarneya R. H. LAWSON DIAL HOLDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Sept. 30, 1947.

Y Filed March 11, 19 16 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 InvenZar ROBERT H. LAWSON 3y hi5 a/Z-Zvrn eys 12: law

hand wheel 22' serves to raise or lower the spin-v Patented Sept. 3Q, 1947 UNITED STATE DIAL HOLDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Robert H. Lawson, Laconia, N. H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 11, 1946, SerialNo. 653.454

11 Claims.

This invention relates to dial holding mechanism for rib knitting machines and it is an object of this invention to provide mechanism applicable to rib knitting machines of a known type for holding the needle or cam carriers stationary with respect to each other while permtting the passage or parts with respect thereto. Further objects of thisinvention are to eliminate the use of dogs or abutments reacting through the fabric and to provide mechanism capable of effective use with rib knitting machines of any size, particularly those of relatively large diameter and in which yarn is provided ata relatively large number of knitting waves from a source external or the needle and cam carriers.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial horizontal sectional View taken as on line I--| of Fig. 2 and showing dial holding mechanism in accord'ance with this invention as applied to a rib knitting machine of the stationary cylinder type, some parts being broken away to show other parts more clearly;

Fig. 2.is a partial vertical sectional view taken as on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken as on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken similarly to Fig. 2 the parts being shown in different relative positions from their positions in Fig. 2. r

In the drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with a rib knitting machine having a bed plate I on which there is rotatably mounted an annular cam carrier ring 2 having bevel teeth 4 arranged to be engaged by a suitable driVing gear (not shown). The carrier ring 2 carries a cam ring 5 having the usual needle operating cams I which operate the needles N- mounted in a needle cylinder 6 suitably secured in fixed position on the bed plate I. Mounted at uniformly spaced positions on the carrier ring 2 is a plurality of posts or standards 8 having a portion of reduced diameter, as at 8a, and having mounted on their upper end portions a yarn guide 10 and the outer ends of radiallyarrang'ed cross bars [2 while to the upper ends of the posts 8 are secured extension posts 8| on which is mounted the usual carrier M for the yarn cones. The cross bars l2 are joined to form a central hub l2a in which is mounted a flanged tubular bushing 16 secured to the hub l2a by bolts I8 extending through slots in the flange. Mounted in the bushing I6 is a, center spindle 20, the reduced upper end of which is threaded as at 20a to receive a hand wheel 22 which bears upon a bearing cap 24 riding on a roller bearing 25 mounted on the upper end of the bushing 16 so that rotation of the die 20.

Secured to the lower end of the spindle 20 by a bolt 26 is an oil cup 28 having a central boss forming a seat for a flanged collar 30 which is held in adjusted positionon the spindle 20 by a set screw 32. To the flange of the collar 3|], bolts 34 secure a dial 36 carrying needles or other knitting instrumentalities N which cooperate with the cylinder needles N in knitting a fabric 38. Surrounding the spindle 20 and rotatable upon a bearing 40 carried by the dial 36 is the dial cam cap 4| having the cams which operate the dial needles N as the dial cam cap is rotated relatively to the dial by means of a bar or finger 42 secured to the cap. 4| by a bolt 44 and projecting beyond the dial 36 into the path of rotation oi the supports 8.

Keyed to the center spindle 20 between the dial cam cap 4| and the bushing I6 is a member 46 having a central hub 46a and oppositely extending arms 46b and 46d which forms a support for the gear bracket 48. The gear bracket 48 has a central hub secured in adjusted position to the member 46 by bolts 49 which extend through slots in the arms 46b and 46d and are secured in threaded openings in the hub of bracket 48. The bracket 48 comprises a plurality of arms 48a pro.- jecting radially from the hub portion, three arms 48a. being shown in the drawings, and one of said arms 48a, is adjustably positioned between upwardly projecting spaced flanges 460 at the outer end of the arm 4619 by setscrews 50 which engage opposite sides of the arm 480.. At its outer end each arm 48a is provided with a threaded opening to receive a bolt 52 which rotatably secures to the arm 48a, a gear 54 having a projecting hub to which is pinned a circular disk 56 having a plurality of uniformly spaced radially arranged slots 56a, four slots being shown ineach disk. Meshing with each gear 54 is a gear 58 which is secured by a, bolt 60 to the corresponding arm 48a. and driven by a gear 62 rotatably mounted on the spindle 20 and bearing on the hub 46a. The gear 62 is driven by a plurality of dogs 64 secured to the gear 62 by bolts 65 and having forked upper ends arranged to project on opposite sides of a cross-bar l2 and to be adjustably positioned with respect thereto. by set screws 66.

Secured to the bedrplate l is a plurality of brackets 68, there being one for each arm 48a of the bracket 48 and similarly disposed about the spindle 20. At the upper end, each bracket 68 is formed with a flange 68a forming a seat upon which is secured a lock block 10, bolts ll extending through slots in the block Hi and engaging in threaded openings in the flange 68a secure the block 10 in the position to which it is adjusted by the set screws 12'. The blocks Ill have a face curvedon the radius of the disks 56 and. the blocks 10 are positioned so as to permit rotation of the disks 56 in the curves of the arcuate faces of the lock blocks substantially as in a bearing. The radius of the disks and the curved faces of the blocks being less than the radius of the circle in which the outermost points of the disks 56 would rotate about the spindle 20, rotation of the disks 56, arms 48a and spindle 26 is prevented.

To guide a plurality of yarns I4 as the yarns are fed from cones or other yarn supply mounted on the yarn support M to the needles N and N,

a plurality of tubular yarn guides 76 are secured in openings in the yarn guide support ring ID by nuts [60. threaded on an end of the yarn guide 16 and holding a collar 16b formed on the yarn guide seated against the lower face of the support ring It]. The yarn guides 16 and the supports 8, at are uniformly distributed about the ring Hi, there being, as shown in the drawings, four yarn guides between adjacent supports. The yarns 14, after passing through yarn guides 16, are passed through yarn guides 18 carried by the dial cam cap 4| and which hold the yarns in position to be taken by the needles.

In the assembly of the mechanism, the dial 36 can be raised or lowered to position it with respect to the cylinder 6 by rotation of the hand Wheel 22 and the spindle 20 can be centrally positioned by loosening the bolts l8 and II and adjusting the set screws 12. The disks can be rotated slightly to position their slots with respect to the yarn guides 16 and supports 8 by loosening bolts 49 and adjusting the set screws 55 and 66.

In the operation of the mechanism, rotation of the carrier ring 2 operates the cylinder needle cams 1 with respect to the cylinder needles N, which are held against rotation, and also rotates the supports 8 and BI, the support ring if], arch bars l2, yarn support I 4 and the gear 62. Rotation of gear 62 operates gears 58 and 54 causing rotation of the disks 56 in the curves of the arcuate faces of the lock blocks 10, the gearing ratio operating the disks 56 and the spacing of the yarn guides 16 and supports 8 are so related that the slots 56a in the disks travel at the same speed as the yarn guides 16 and supports 8 and are timed so as to be positioned to receive the yarn guides 16 and supports 8 and permit their passage between the disks 56 and lock blocks 16. Operating thedisks 56 by gearing insures maintaining the slots in the disks synchronized with the movements of the yarn guides and supports past the disks without injury to the yarn guides or noise or vibration due to the hitting of motionless disks by rapidly moving yarn guides or supports. Making the number of'disks a number not evenly divisible into the total number of 'yarn guide and support positions on the yarn guide ring provides a structure in which the yarn guides and supports are not simultaneously similarly positioned in the disk slots so that there is always a plurality of disks positioned so as to prevent movement of the center spindle and dial. This positioning of the disks, together with the prevention of contact of the yarn guides or supports with the disks provides a machine of much quieter and more efiicient operation.

While the device has been shown arranged to prevent relative movement of the carriers of one set it is to be understood it is equally applicable to the prevention of relative movement of the carriers of the other set.

What is claimed is: 1. A circular knitting machine having in compair, a slotted circular disk mounted for rotation in the curve of said arcuate face of said block and on an axis fixed relatively to the other carrier of said one pair, yarn guides fixed relatively to said other pair of carriers and means fixed with respect to said other pair of carriers for continuously rotating said disk with the rotation of the slots of said disk permitting passage of said yarn guides between said disk and said block.

2. A circular knitting machine having in combination a pair of needle carriers, a pair of cam carriers, means to cause relative rotation between said pairs of carriers and means to hold the carriers of one pair relatively fixed comprising a block having an arcuate face mounted in fixed position with respect to a carrier of said one pair, a circular disk mounted for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of said block and on an axis fixed with respect to the other carrier of said one pair, spaced yarn guide mounted in fixed relation to the other pair of said carriers, and means mounted in fixed relation to said other pair of carriers continuously rotating said disk, said disk having recesses synchronized with the movement of said yarn guides between said block and disk.

3. A circular knitting machine having in combination a pair of needle carriers, a pair of cam carriers, means to rotate one pair of said carriers with respect to the other pair, means for rotating one pair of said carriers together and means to hold the other carriers in fixed relation comprising a block having an arcuate face mounted in fixed relation with respect to one of said other carriers, a slotted circular disk mounted for, rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of said block and on an axis fixed with respect to the other of said other carriers, yarn guides and yarn carrier supports fixed with respect to said rotating carriers and means fixed with respect to said rotating carriers continuously rotating said disk to receive said yarn guides and supports in the slots in said disk.

4. A rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a needle dial, cam carriers for cylinder and dialcams, driving means for said cam carriers, a yarn carrier and supports therefor carried by one of said cam carriers, a plurality of yarn guides carried by said supports, in combination with means to hold said cylinder anddial in relatively fixed relation comprising a bracket mounted in fixed relation with said cylinder, a block having an arcuate face mounted on said bracket, an arm mounted in fixed relation with said dial, a slotted disk pivotally mounted on said arm for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of said block and means rotating with said cam carriers continuously operating said disk to receive said yarn guides and supports in the slots in said disk.

5. A rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a needle dial, cam carriers for cylinder and dial cams, driving means for said cam carriers, a yarn carrier and supports therefor carried by one of said cam carriers, a plurality of yarn guides carried by said supports in combination with means-to hold said cylinder and dial in relatively fixed relation comprising a plurality of brackets uniformly spaced about and in. fixed relation with said cylinder, a block having an arcuate face mounted on each of said brackets, uniformly spaced radially arranged arms, means adjustably positioning said arms in fixed relation to said dial, a slotted disk rotatably mounted on each arm for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of a block and a gear rotating with said cam carriers operating said disks with the slots in said disks synchronized to receive said yarn guides and supports in passage past said disks.

6. A rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a needle dial cam carriers for cylinder and dial cams, driving means for said cam carriers, a yarn carrier and supports therefor carried by one of said carriers, a support ring carried by said supports, yarn guides and said supports uniformly distributed about said support ring, in combination with means to hold said cylinder and dial in relatively fixed relation comprising a plurality of brackets uniformly spaced about and rigid with said cylinder, a block having an arcuate face mounted on each of said brackets, uniformly spaced radially arranged arms, means adjustably positioning said arms in fixed relation to said dial, a disk having uniformly spaced radially arranged slots rotatably mounted on each arm for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of a block and gearing operating with said cam carriers for operating said disks with the slots therein synchronized to receive said yarn guides and supports in passage past said disks.

7. A rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a needle dial cam carriers for cylinder and dial cams, driving means for said cam carriers, a yarn carrier and supports therefor carriedby one of said carriers, a support ring carried b said supports, yarn guides and said supports uniformly distributed about said support ring, in combination with means to hold said cylinder and dial in relatively fixed relation comprising a plurality of vertically extending brackets uniformly spaced about and in fixed relation with said cylinder, a block having an arcuate face mounted on each of said brackets, radially extending arms uniformly spaced about the'axis of said dial, means adjustably positioning said arms in fixed relation to said dial, a disk having uniformly spaced radially arranged slots rotatably mounted on each arm for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of a block and gearing operating with said cam carriers for rotating said disks with the slots therein synchronized to receive said yarn guides and supports in passage past said disks.

8. A rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a needle dial, cam carriers for cylinder and dial cams, driving means for said cam carriers, a yarn carrier and supports therefor carried by one of said carriers, a support ring carried by said supports, yarn guides and said supports uniformly distributed about said support ring in combination with means to hold said cylinder and dial in relatively fixed relation comprising a plurality of brackets uniformly spaced about and in fixed relation to said cylinder a block having an arcuate face fixed on each said brackets, radially extending arms uniformly spaced about the axis of said dial, means positioning said arms in fixed relation to said dial, a disk having uniformly spaced radially arranged slots rotatably mounted on each arm for rotation in the curve of the arcuate face of a block and gearing operating with said cam carriers for rotating said disks with the slots therein synchronized to receive said yarn guides and supports in passage between said disks and blocks.

9. A circular knitting machine having in combination, a pair of needle carriers, a pair of cam carriers, means to cause relative rotation between said pairs of carriers and means to hold the carriers of one pair relatively fixed comprising blocks having arcuate faces mounted in fixed position relative to a carrier of said one pair, slotted circular disks mounted for rotation in the curves of said arcuate faces of said blocks and on axes fixed relatively to the other carrier of said one pair, yarn guides and yarn carrier supports fixed relatively to said other pair of carriers and means fixed with respect to said other pair of carriers for rotating said disks with the rotation of said slots permitting passage of said yarn guides and supports between said disks and said blocks, said yarn guides and supports having dissimilar instantaneous positions in the slots of the various disks.

10. A circular knitting machine having in combination, a pair of needle carriers, a pair of cam carriers, means to cause relative rotation between said pairs of carriers and means to hold the carriers of one pair relatively fixed comprising blocks having arcuate faces mounted in fixed position relative to a carrier of said one pair, slotted circular disks mounted for rotation in the curves of said arcuate faces of said blocks and on axes fixed relatively to the other carrier of said one pair, yarn guides and yarn carrier supports fixed relatively to said other pair of carriers and means fixed with respect to said other pair of carriers for rotating said disks with the rotation of said slots permitting passage of said yarn guides and supports between said disks and said blocks, said yarn guides and supports being of a number greater than and not evenly divided by the number of disks.

11. A circular knitting machine having in combination, a pair of needle carriers,-a pair of cam carriers, means to cause relative rotation between said pairs of carriers and means to hold the carriers of one pair relatively fixed comprising blocks having arcuate faces mounted in fixed position relative to a carrier of said one pair, slotted circular disks mounted for rotation in the curves of said arcuate faces of said blocks and on axes fixed relatively to the other carrier of said one pair, yarn guides and yarn carrier supports fixed relatively to said other pair of carriers and means fixed with respect to said other pair of carriers for rotating said disks with the rotation of said slots permitting passage of said yarn guides and supports between said disks and said blocks, said yarn guides and supports having dissimilar instantaneous positions in the slots of the various disks and said yarn guides and supports being of a number greater than and not evenly divided by the number of disks.

ROBERT E. LAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany June 8, 1921 Number Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,428,230.

ROBERT H. LAWSON It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 1, line 45, after guide insert ring; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of November, A. D. 1947.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gammz'ssz'oner of Patents.

September 30, 1947. 

